TV-Addicted 2 Year-Olds Don’t Even Know Their Own Names

Toddlers in the UK could be screened for speech problems because many are so addicted to TV and video games that they fail to learn basic communication skills.

According to an article in the Telegraph, “barely a 10th of children in some areas can repeat even one nursery rhyme and, in extreme cases, some do not even know their own name.”

“If children are in a home in which they are getting insufficient stimulation, where there is not enough interaction, or where communication through the spoken word is not as common or extensive or imaginative as it might be, that is bound to have an impact. The reality is that for far too long, speech and language problems have been under-recognised.”- Tory MP John Bercow

The nationwide screening for two-year-olds is being considered to take on the problem that some experts say is now more prevalent than dyslexia or autism. Testing would be done in a similar manner as screening for hearing, eyesight, and other childhood development checks.

The blame is being placed on the demise of the traditional family meal time, parents who work long hours, and poor childcare with little to no stimulation, and proponents point to the future societal issues that this problem will bring.

“Children with untreated speech difficulties are at risk of ending up unemployed, experiencing mental health problems and involved in crime.” – Bercow

Comments

given the postal mark in the bottom-left and the fact it’s tagged with “postsecret” I doubt the photo credit is accurate, Flickr poster probably snagged it off of postsecret.com, which probably recieved it from someone other than the original photographer/model (they probably took the image and added the black-on-white-background text). So creative commons wouldn’t really apply here and original copyright holder may get annoyed. Just a heads-up.

A 2-year-old who doesn’t know his own name? What’s next, a kindergartner who doesn’t know his address or home phone number? If a child grows up illiterate and innumerate, he will have difficulty filling out job applications, going grocery shopping, and could easily be cheated. When I was 6-7 years old, I was reading the ingredients on food packages, a skill necessitated by food allergies. I was allergic to artificial colors and artificial flavors, which make me hyperactive.

*Links to community resources
*A Communication Wellness Survey to detect need for intervention
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*Speech Guidelines chart for developmental norms
*A blog for community interaction

Good luck to you and all other parents with concerns about speech and language.

[…] even some question as to whether watching television has a negative impact on toddler’s language and speech development. It’s no wonder the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly discourages any TV viewing for […]